Ex 26

The next step in the tasks set before Moses is the construction of the tabernacle - made of 10 curtains of finely twisted linen, purple and scarlet yarn, with angels worked into them made by skilled craftsmen. Each curtain was to be about 42' long and 6' wide. There will be 11 curtains of goat hair over the tabernacle. The frames would be made of acacia wood - 15' long and 2.25' wide. The south side will have 20 frames with 40 silver bases. The west end will have 6 frames and the details for the crossbars are also laid out. This tabernacle will have distinctive sections separated by curtains where they are degrees of holiness that ultimately will hold the ark of the Testimony which is the Most Holy Place.

It is tough to visualize this albeit construct this even if you were an architect.Still a shepherd was place with this awesome task and the tabernacle would ultimately be replaced by the temple that Solomon would build. What made it more interesting is that during the 40 days that Moses would spend on the mountaintop, he recorded all of this by himself. Still he is truly a remarkable man.

Things are muddling along and already I am ready for the weekend. Today is the day that should never be but still happens once every 4 years and on Presidential elections. I feel that I truly get my money's worth out of my apartment for this month's rent as opposed to the last 4 years, ha!

Prayers still continue for my peeps.

Praise for today: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Ps 16: 11

Ex 25: 23-40

There are two items mentioned in this section - the first is the table and the second is the lampstand. The table is about 3' long, 1 1/2 ' wide and 2 1/4' tall. It was to be overlayed with pure gold and a gold moulding around it. It was to have a rim around 6" wide and with a gold molding. This too was to have 4 gold rings which would hold the poles that would carry it. There would be gold plates that would be used on it as well as pitchers and bowls for offerings. There would be bread on this as well which would indicate his Presence. Even then the foreshadow of Christ was there as He was the "bread of life". The lampstand was to be made of pure gold and all of the ornamentation was to be one piece. This design was to be unique - 6 branches with 3 cups on each branch. On the lampstand itself, there would be 4 cups shaped like almond flowers. Still in this unique design, the buds and branches shall be one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. There are 7 lamps to be made and set upon it so that it would light the tabernacle. All in all around 75 pounds of gold was to be used for this. At $1750 per ounce by today's standard, this would a very, very expensive piece of furniture.

God truly had a plan and was showed that He was a God of detail but also involvement. The making of the table and the lampstand was to show that the people would value the relationship since they were fronting the goods. God could have made this himself, but where would the value and relationship be?

Praiseful that Irene made it home from her drive back from FL early this morning. Prayers continue for my peeps, and also for Cindy who lost her grandma yesterday.

Praise for today: My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. Ps 71:15

Ex 25: 1-22

Now the Lord is commanding Moses to receive an offering for the enablement of the Tabernacle. This is not forced giving but rather from "each man whose heart prompts him to give". The Lord is specific about what is to be given and its use as an ephod/breastplate and the tabernacle. The Tabernacle would be where the Lord would dwell as He goes with them to the Promised land. The next item that will be specified for the tabernacle would be the Ark. This is a chest measuring around 3.75' by 2.25' by 2.25' and made of acadia wood. The details for ring poles and the poles are laid out as well as an "atonement" cover of pure gold and having 2 angels made of gold at the ends of the cover. The cover will be on top of the arc. The ark will include the Testimony (10 Commandments stone tablets).

When I hear of the ark, my mind wanders to the movie, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. That was the first of its trilogy and perhaps the best. Still, the importance of the ark was lost in translation as the power of the Lord rests not in the created but the Creator. Yet it would be cool to see the actual tablets carved from the finger of God.

All in all, a decent weekend. Got all of my household chores done as well as 90% of the taxes. Glad to get a refund overall. Decent dentist report and some good shopping also highlighted Saturday although dinner was real make-shift. Church was good and was able to pray and anoint an old friend awaiting news from further medical tests. Got home relatively quickly and down to Delly. Praiseful that the boys got home from their destination. Long week in store for me workwise....

Prayers for Irene as she heads home today, the weather for her first half of the trip is forecasted for rain. Hope she takes my offer to stop the night if she tires out. Prayers also this week for Donna and Wilfred as she awaits her news.

Praise for today: For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. Ps 92:4

Ex 24

Wow!What a chapter, the Lord had the 70 elders and the chosen few and brought them up to the place where He will give to Moses the 10 Commandments in stone tablets to last a lifetime. Moses gave the Lord's intentions to the people and they in turn were respondent in one voice that they would obey and wait for Moses's return. The 12 tribes would be accounted for and after reading to them the Book of the Covenant - the prior chapters included, they also responded in one voice that they would obey and wait. v 10 was surreal with the pavement changing representing the nearness of God. God allowed himself to be seen (probably Jesus) and they lived - ate and drank. Then Moses went up to the mountain to receive the 10 Commandments, leaving Aaron and Hur to take charge of disputes. The cloud covered the mountain (Sinai) and stayed there for 6 days and on the 7th day, Moses entered the cloud and stayed there for 40 days and nights. To the Israelites, the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. An extremely visual and moving chapter.

Praiseful that David got to his destination ok. Spoke to Irene last night and did some catch-up as well. Weekend's up and heading home.

Praise for today: The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Ps 121: 7-8

Ex 23:20 -33

How interesting that God sent an angel to be with them during this part of the journey. He will have the power and authority of God himself as he will also defend them against their enemies. He will be a no-nonsense kind of angel (21). Again God had to re-emphasize to them that they are not to worship the gods of the lands that they will cross to get to the Promised land. Instead, they are to destroy the idol worship in the lands that they will cross. Do that and the Lord promised them a sickness free, childbearing (no miscarriages or barrenness) time as well as a "full life span" -which to me means well past 100. The angel, to them, will be a "terror" to their enemies and drive them out but this will not happen immediately but little by little. How similar is that even in life itself. If everything was handed to us, we would not mature or would be tested to be  refined gold for God. Ultimately they will possess the land, but that will come as they have grown in stature in God's eyes. The borders established in v31 seems like their final resting place but God again has to emphasize the purity and the holiness that His people are called to. The prophetic words in v 33 will ultimately be their downfall as they enter the period of the Judges and beyond.

Good day yesterday. Able to do my household chores and some more cooking. Got caught up on some of my shows and looking to do the same later. Home will be empty this weekend, just like the apartment. Still stuff to do, people to see and places to go.

Praise for today: Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Ex 23: 25

Ex 23: 10-19

The next section deals with the vertical relationship while being mindful of what pleases God. v 10-11 is the harvest with the remains for the poor and the animals. This concept was reiterated by Boaz in the book of Ruth. The Sabbath was for everyone including the working animals. There is always a mindset of reminding them not to worship other gods and not coming to worship empty-handed. There is also 3 annual festivals to be observed - the feast of unleavened bread (Passover), of the Harvest, and Ingathering at the end of the year. The "no yeast" concept was emphasized as well as some specific rules regarding these festivals.

Decent day yesterday - got a slingbox so I can get rid of the MLB subscription. Also made a pasta concoction with mussels, broccoli, onions and mushrooms as well as ground turkey which was really good in tomato sauce over wheat pasta. That should last a few days. Other than that, restful evening. Really enjoying this snowless winter!

Praise for today: I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. Ps 22:22

Ex 22 and 23: 1-9

I actually blogged on Friday regarding Ex 22 but somehow that got lost when trying to post it. Weird since it usually saves it as a draft and was frustrated since it was a relatively long one. 22 was interesting in that it dealt with making restitution when property - land, animals, precious metals were involved. Sometimes the issues required paying back double. The interesting verse to to me was v3 where if a man killed someone when he was robbed in daylight, he was guilty of bloodshed rather than v2 where it was ok. The rest of the chapter dealt with "social responsibilities" with a lot of one liners which ultimately ends with 31 where God claims them to be His holy people.

23: 1-9 deals with justice and mercy. A lot was emphasized with interpersonal or horizontal relationships. It expands upon the commandment of not bearing false witness against your neighbor. This also includes taking bribes as well. God really emphasizes not only the justice part but the mercy as well. He ends the section with not oppressing the alien given their history in Egypt. In essence, each of these rules of the road makes one "do the right thing" when it comes to dealing with people. To me, it really reinforces Micah 6:8.

Decent weekend, spent some good time with David and was able to share my heart on Sunday night. Prayers for him and Daniel, as well as the rest of the crew going to Vegas this coming weekend. Will be weird going from being solo at the apartment to an empty home in NJ this weekend. Still have a dental appointment at 1:25 PM which is smack in the middle of the day with a 40 min drive each way - ugh. At least this weekend, I will start the dreaded tax season and some other things I want to do around the house. If the coast were clear in the afternoon, I would have been tempted to sit in a movie theater all day and watch the best picture nominees which I haven't seen yet. Oh well....

Glad that GG got to spend some bonding time with his other cousins which he rarely sees this past weekend and that he got back to Denver ok yesterday as well.

Praise for today: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:3-4

Ex 21: 12-26

I guess if the Israelites would follow God's mandates laid out here, we wouldn't have 1-800- LAWYERS. The Bible is very specific as far as any situation that would arise from the area personal injury and the rules and the punishment is very simple and clear. Restitution must be made so that there is order and not chaos. God does provide a way when He was the one that allows it (v13) and there are courts that will judge (v 22). Here is also where the eye for an eye (24-25) instance was stated. This was the "law" that governed much of what affected restitution in the "wild west". It is clear that God is One of order, justice and mercy.

Looking forward to having dinner with Irene tonight and her company before she heads down to FL for a while. Praying for her day and her safe passage here later. Also glad to have spent time talking with GG and catching up with him as well. Praiseful that his annual tests went well and he is good for another year. Nice that he is able to join Irene and Marlene and company for the long weekend as well in FL. Got my new lappy and will bring it home this weekend so David can work on it and perform his magic!

Praise for today: The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

Ex 21: 1-11

The Lord then proceeds to give them the laws and guidance to solve and resolve issues that can arise. The first of them happens to address the Hebrew servants. The servant is to serve for 6 years and in the 7th, he is to be set free. There may be circumstances that govern his/her release - such as marriage and willingness to go but the choice is truly the servant's and not the master's. Faith is also a factor and for a woman, rights are also determined as well as fulfillment of basic and marital rights. It also covers the release of a female slave as well.

Here is where God's detail and thought process are laid out for the rest of the book. God wanted to give them detail not just to lay the groundwork for a relationship but also with the knowledge that the Israelites were in need of this type of detail given their rebellous nature.

Looking forward to today and the possibility of upgrading my laptop which I've been using for the past 6 years. While this unit has served me well, it is in serious need of an upgrade.

Praise for today: For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. Ps. 11: 7

Ex 20

The culmination of all of this is now revealed - the 10 Commandments. Just 10 and no less and no more (for now), easier said than done. We have all broken some of these at one time or another and also the deeds we have committed in our hearts as Jesus said is equal to the task. Even today, the lack of adherance to these 10 guideposts have driven our morality and our country in a downward spiral. The mere hearing and seeing of the thunder and lightning and the trumpet and smoke in the mountains drove the Israelites to tremble with fear as they kept their distance. They would rather hear God's word from Moses than from God himself. As a result, it was Moses who approached the dark cloud where God was. Moses did say it should be the "fear of God with them" that should keep them from sinning - evidently not.

The Lord proceeded to tell Moses the truths that have long been "tradition" with the Israelites. They were perennially keeping images and small gods on their persons which annoyed and angered the Lord. This even dates back to the Jacob and Laban, where Laban kept small gods and was a point of contention. The Lord even said to Moses that the altars that were to be built not be "dressed" stones since the use of tools would defile it and go up on it via steps so that man's nakedness be exposed on it. I guess underwear wasn't invented back then.

Pretty decent weekend and what was good was the lack of snow that stuck around. Enjoyed SW 3D and the dinner on Sat and a good day at church with a early arrival here in Delly. I ended up watching the Grammys instead of my usual fare and enjoyed some of the proceedings and ignored some as well. I am starting to acknowledge the loss of Whitney Houston and her effect on our generations and am saddened about her misdirection and her demise. While everyone blames her ex on her downfall, she too played a part since it does take two to tango. Still a loss nonetheless.

Praise for today: The Lord redeems his servants: no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. Ps 34:22

Ex 19

What a chapter! This takes place 3 months into their journey from Egypt and their approach to the Desert of Sinai. They were camped at the foot of the mountain when the Lord felt that the time was right for them to take the next step in their relationship. The Moses/Lord encounter was to emphasize the importance of obediance and blessing for the Israelites and when told of it, they were willing to comply. v 8 - we will do EVERYTHING the Lord has said. So with Moses relaying that to the Lord, the next step is underway. The Lord gave them 3 days to prepare and clean themselves before a holy God. Since the Lord would be coming to them on the Mount, the mountain was untouchable due to the holiness of God. They were instructed not even to touch the mountain since they would be put to death (including animals). Only after the trump sounded would they be permitted to go. The Lord would come as a thick dark cloud as the mount was covered with smoke as the Lord descended on fire. The Lord went to the top of the mountain and Moses followed. The Lord knew that the people would be curious and thus sent Moses down to warn them again not to come up the mountain while the Lord was there (including priests who must be consecrated). The Lord at that time instructed Moses to bring Aaron to come with him.

Today will be a long day at work but hopefully the drive home will be relatively painless. The snow is slated to start overnight so at least that should be manageable. Lots of stuff planned for Sat and hopefully all can make it out for Sat night's CNY dinner.

Praise for today: From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Ps 3: 8

Ex 18

This is a remarkable encounter between Jethro, Moses's f-i-l and himself. Zipporah, Moses's wife and his two sons are now in the story where they went to Jethro for a visit. The two sons, Gershom and Eliezer were name such given their situation of being in a strange land and the other being helped by God through Moses' ordeal. Jethro, Zipporah and the two sons came to meet Moses in the desert. Apparently, Jethro was truly a believer himself and was praiseful after hearing the events in Moses and the Israelites' life. After they met, they both burnt offerings and broke bread along with Aaron. He then gave Moses the best advice of his life which was to delegate the responsibility of judging all of the disputes that arose during the day between the Israelites. He told him to choose capable and godly men to settle the disputes between the people and it was Moses' responsibility to be the people's representative between them and God.  Only the difficult cases would be brought to Moses. This is turn set up the concepts of judges in the hearts and minds of the Israelites - a concept that would transcend after Joshua's death. Moses saw the wisdom in this and proceeded to carry this out. Jethro then returned to his own country.

What a God-send, Jethro was! He saw the situation and because of the respect and the wisdom that he imparted preempted a potentially harmful situation for Moses and the Israelites while preserving the integrity of God's intent.  I pray that I may do the same for my sons when the situation ever arises.

So glad that the snow was minimal and should be gone with the warming temps. The next snow blast should come on early Sat morning but should be light albeit with much colder temps. Still looking forward to seeing the SW 3D with Irene and David.

Praise for today: Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharoah, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly. Ex 18: 10-11

Ex 17: 8-17

This is the first battle that the Israelites had to fight on their own (albeit with the Lord's help). This is also the first time that Joshua is mentioned by name in the Bible. The plan was simple, when Moses had his arms raised, they were winning, but when the hands dropped they were losing. It got to the point that he needed help (Aaron and Hur) to prop up his arms to ensure the victory. This battle raged from sunup to sundown until the Amalekites were defeated. The significance of the battle was captured when Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my Banner. Additionally, the Amalekites would be the sworn enemy of the Lord and the Israelites from generation to generation.

The strength to keep the arms up had to be excruciating. I know what it's like to do that for a short, short time since the blood is draining down and the hands grow numb. What it must be to do that for at least 12 hours and then build an altar of significance. The things we do ....

Long day coming up with a business dinner to boot today. Hopefully the nuisance snow showers won't make the trek too bad.

Praise for today: Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of  his pasture, the flock under his care.  Ps 95: 6-7

Ex 17: 1-7

Again the people who have traveled with Moses become discontent and quarrel with Moses now for water. They again put the Lord to the test and look backward rather than forward to His promises and protection. Unfortunately, Moses get the brunt of their attacks and is near being stoned for all that he has done. When things go well, he gets no credit and when things are bad - he will get all of the blame. In this tenuous situation, God tells him to go ahead and along with the elders, he is to strike the rock with the staff at Horeb. The rock will spew forth water for the people to drink. So often the events in the Bible spawn the names of the places and this was no different. The place was called Massah and Meribah because of the testing and quarreling that took place. In Numbers 20, the event is recalled and there is where the faith of Moses shows impatience and as a result God didn't take him into the Promised Land.

Sometimes I feel that the whole world (or at least the part that is entrusted to me) is on my shoulders. Having done the work gig for over 38 years and being the head of the house has given me a lot of responsibility and burden both financially and spiritually. I am so glad and grateful that the Lord is a part of this and that He is the one that has filled my family with His Spirit. While I will still have concerns and at times angst, I do know that He is in control and He is the One that will see us through.

Praise for today: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth! Ps 8: 9

Ex 16

Grumblings... the ground swell of the people's dissatisfaction as to their current condition of lack of food had them dreaming of the life of slavery and the last meals that they had. What have you done for me lately? Moses made it clear that in essence they, the Israelites, were grumbling not against he and Aaron but against the Lord himself. God then gave them instructions as far has how they were to eat and when to gather (Sabbath) as a means to test their reliance and obedience. The dew on the ground became the manna or daily bread which was to be measured by the omer. While they were supposed to gather just what they needed for the day, some disobeyed and theirs became maggot infested. The rules for the Sabbath were starting to be set in the Israelites mindset when it came to work  and rest from this passage. There is always some that try to circumvent the rules and they went out to gather food on that day and found none. The bread was white like coriander and was sweet like honey. So that future generations would know what this was - a portion of it was to be jarred and stored. Manna actually was named such after v 15 - what manner of food is this? For 40 years while they were in their wanderings, the Lord provided food in this "manna" for them.

Jesus wasn't kidding when he told us to ask the Lord to give us our daily bread and his word/life as the bread of life. Reliance on God isn't a stored thing but a daily requirement lest we feel overconfident. Church was  good yesterday and through our Ministry fair, at least the need was sounded and hopefully the call was answered. Got home in almost record time from NYC yesterday and in turn, made it down here early as well. Glad to see that the cable box was working and saw the game and the Voice comfortably and quietly. I always wonder how people are passionate about their teams, if they can channel a portion of that to the Lord and his work/people. As  my dad said - you still have to go to work and put your pants on, one leg at a time.

Praying for a quiet week at work and for my family as well.

Praise for today: Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Ps 40:5

Ex 15: 22-27

Let the games begin! From the Red Sea to the Desert of Shur, they traveled three days without water. They came to the Marah, and found water which was bitter. The place was called such because the name means "bitter". How ironic that Naomi (of Ruth fame) chose that name as her own as she was found defeated and alone in her mind as she felt that her life had no meaning. She felt abandoned and futureless. Similarly, the complaints start and I guess that is the history of the Israelites. Now it's the lack of water. Moses, as their leader, is the one they go to and he, in turn, goes to the Lord who shows him a piece of wood which makes the water sweet and drinkable. A piece of wood??? I guess in the desert anything that the Lord uses can be a game changer. It is there that the Lord gave them the "if - then" statement of obedience doing "right" in order to not suffer as the Egyptians did with the plagues. It was there that He equated himself as the God who heals. After the desert was the oasis of Elim, where water and palm trees were and there they camped.

Decent day but a upsetting night as my cable box crapped out for the second time in the past six months. It seems that Comcast loves to see their customers suffer so they have their equipment fail at least a few times a year. In NJ, Cablevision's equipment has lasted for decades with little hassles. Go figure. I hope to go later and swap boxes later to avoid hassles for Sunday's game.

If that is all I am "inconvieneced" by then there is really nothing to complain about, is there? With all of the people in the world truly suffering what is this compared to that? Looking forward to the weekend and heading north especially with the nice weather we've been having and I wouldn't mind 6 more weeks of 40-60 degree weather with no snow.

Praise for today: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Ps 63: 3

Ex 15: 1-21

What a response to such an awesome display! The song that all sang was personalized as each person witnessed what the Lord had done for them. Clearly they could take no credit for what had just happened nor should they. They simply said what was the realization that He has no equal and thus laid the groundwork for what should be an easy trek to their Promised Land. What was acknowledged by the Israelites was that it was in God's unfailing love that He was to lead the people. Little did they know or understand the depth of His love. At the end, even Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister got into the act.

It must have been awesome to see what the Lord had just done for them! Too bad their attitude was one of "what have you done for me lately" to measure their loyalty and love. Only time and further reading will bear this out.

Praise for today: Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Ex 15:11

Ex 14

Now the exodus has begun and the Israelites have left Egypt. God has already revealed his plan to Moses. Pharoah and his officials will have realized that their meal ticket has gone and they will come to their senses and pursue them to get them back. He will take his army with him (600 of his best chariots and others) to where they overtook them at their camp near the Red Sea. Faced with the waters in front of them and the army behind them, they looked to Moses and pleaded with him to let them return to Egypt then to go to the desert or die there. Moses was instructed to wave his staff to part the waters while the angel of the Lord (cloud) went behind them and blocked the Egyptians' way. As they passed, the chariots followed into the land divided by water and then the wheels came off and they were stuck. The Egyptians knew and acknowledged that they were fight the Lord of Hosts and that they were not going to win this one. Trying to escape was futile as the waters flowed over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen. The entire army of Pharoah was destroyed and the Israelites were saved from the hands of the Egyptians and saw their dead pursuers. v 31 at least for then was the conclusion and the basis for their faith.

What a spectacular event and result! If only the Israelites would mark their faith by this day and not doubt God's power. Still we know the rest and how God would deal with them and us through Christ.

Good day overall but tough night sleeping. Going to be a rough one at the gym with a lousy night's sleep - guess this will be my slack day (doing less) and praying for a good day today.

Praise for today: Moses answered the people, "do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today will never see you again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still". Ex 14: 13-14